camping generators

Good point!

And non inverter generators are well known to stalk and kill other campers in the night too! I keep my $98 GMC tethered by a chain to a tree.

Mike Harding

And if I recall correctly Mike, they have are prone to getting water in the petrol tank overnight too!

Not mine mate. If anyone is camped with 30km of me then they're too close - but for those who like to get away from it all in order to spend time shoulder to shoulder with strangers... well...?

Mike, As long as it is chained and not started it will do no damage, good on you.
Wazza

Do not suffer a 3 way fridge as a decent generator will not damage a charger to recharge a battery to run a 12v fridge.
I lost a charger to a cheap generator once it even blew a 60watt bulb.
Wazza

I would recommend Kipor Digital Inverter generators. I just bought a 6kVA model for household backup power. I am very happy with the quality of it. They are made in China but I am really impressed by the build quality and their attention to detail. The smaller portable models have the same features as the Honda/Yamaha inverters and are on par in regards to noise levels.....and they are ALOT cheaper.

GenQuip Generators rebadge them:
www.genquip.com.au (seems to be offline as I type this)

More information:
Kipor Australia

and this:
Kipor USA

I was discussing this one with the better half. I've always hated Gennerators for camping. I couldn't and still don't understand why you need a generator when you can run all the camping essentials off batteries and panels (actually you can get by without those, as well, but isn't cold beer really an essential?). If it's for the tv, dvd etc, you're camping! Leave it at home.However...

This may end up as a reverse of limiting access and activities in parks. If, as is being suggested elsewhere, we are likely to see hotter, drier conditions more regularly, Total Fire Bans will become more the norm than the exception. Do you think the time will come when the only way you can cook in a Park or Forest is with 'lectricity? Just opening it up for discussion, folks...

Cheers,

Mark

I take my Amateur Radio bush both for a safety link and pleasure. It draws up to 22A on transmit and my 88Ah AGM battery won't power it for more than about three days before needing recharging. It takes about three hours of running the GMC gen to recharge. I will go to solar panels for this eventually but they will need to drop in price (and, ideally, increase in robustness) first - I would need about $800 of solar compared to my $98 gen.

I rarely camp in NPs, nearly always in State Forest and I'm always miles away from anyone (often gold prospecting in remote spots) so my gen doesn't worry anybody.

I do scratch my head a bit about why people want to run air conditioners but when it's 30C and 90% and you want a good night’s sleep I can understand it but... that's northern Oz for you, if you can't handle it maybe you shouldn't go?

Cooking with electricity:
Well... there is a sizeable movement of Nazi Greenies out there many of who have degrees in Ecology Management or similar and work in Government (what else could one do with such a degree?) who really see people as something they would prefer they didn’t have to deal with at all so I’m sure there would be a opinion base which would wish to do everything possible to keep up out of the bush and that would, probably, gain some acceptance from the general public, most of who never go into the bush. So I guess you may see it in some well used NP areas under the guise of saving wood or bush fire prevention etc – anything to establish the principle of another rule they can enforce. I’ll just keep doing my own thing though and unless they do an air search (and I’ll buy some camo netting at that point :) no one ever knows I’m there… and I like it just that way :)

Mike Harding

Firstly, if somebody caped 20 meters from me .... I would atke the muffle roff the generator.
Secondly, I would like too see a solar panel charge a flat battery in 40 minutes, yes I did something stupid, when you are about to leave a camp site at 6.00 pm.

For Mike ..............
Hi Mike, I have just taken up the new position of Goldhunter myself and coincidently run the little GMC 850 also........

Have just come back from a week in the Batavia/Wenlock goldfields, camped on the Wenlock River and, due to a foolish lack of thought, managed to flatten my Troopy battery [single battery only] running the Engles 40! Being older and more cunning I had a spare battery [loose] to be charged solely for Engle and lights.

However, couldn't really get a good charge after anywhere from 15 -18 hours on charge so got the cunning idea to connect the generator to a 3-stage 4a charger and use it as the filter? between generator and the Engles. Still couldn't get the fridge to drop temp ..........

Generator was sited about 80ft back in the bushes [ me also not keen on either noise or fumes!].......... an inner voice plagued me about loss of voltage through long extension leads so ..........

Last gasp solution [I am electrcally impaired, but learning all the time!] was to take the charger on its' short lead to the generator and connect the battery there, instead of at the end of the long extension.

Was this surmise correct .... a long cabling would allow a fairly hefty power loss ???

The end result was that my cranking battery was restored enough to fire up the Troopy and get me back home.

And for the record, my Engles was checked professionally when I got home and suffered no damage from running of the GMC through the charger .......... but I wont do it that way again !!! I have one of Derek's dual battery systems to fit, just ran out of time before I left.

And, for the record again ............. this little GMC ran for over 18+ hours straight on one tank of fuel ........ how goeth yours ??? Like, it ran [and started] perfectly for the whole week I was away, faultlessly ..... is this good, or what.

As for the GOLD ?? .......... suffice to say that I have a vast collection of slivers of barbed wire, fencing nails, etc.......... but am going back again next month for two weeks ............ surely then ??????

Hi Pedro

I’m not really clear on what you were trying to do but using a battery charger to drive a fridge or other 12V appliances is, generally, not a good idea. You may get away with it but otoh you may not – go carefully.

>Generator was sited about 80ft back in the bushes

Good move with the GMC – they are not noted for their quietness.

>Last gasp solution [I am electrcally impaired, but learning all the time!]
>was to take the charger on its' short lead to the generator and connect the
>battery there, instead of at the end of the long extension.

By far the best thing to do. A long lead to supply 12V to the battery is a bad idea as it will waste much more energy than a long lead to supply 240V which is why we send electricity around the country at 250,000V or whatever.

>Was this surmise correct .... a long cabling would allow a fairly
>hefty power loss ???

See above – avoid long leads for 12V DC.

>I have one of Derek's dual battery systems to fit, just ran out
>of time before I left.

Good idea. A proper dual battery system is a good way to go.

>And, for the record again ............. this little GMC ran for over 18+ hours
>straight on one tank of fuel ........ how goeth yours ???

Mine does pretty damn well too thanks Pedro – for $98 I have no complaints at all :)

>As for the GOLD ?? .......... suffice to say that I have a vast
>collection of slivers of barbed wire, fencing nails, etc.....

Perfect! One day we must compare junk collections! :)

>but am going back again next month for two
>weeks ............ surely then ?????

Me too – I have no doubt… any time soon that big nugget with my name written on it will jump into my pocket :)

Mike Harding